Lot: 20 by 73-feet with rear parking pad for one car and mutual laneway

Taxes: $1904.86 (2012)

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 3

G Elrayyes, the designer and owner of this two-storey detached house, could see beyond Craven Rd.’s sketchy history.

The street once had a seedy reputation and, according to Elrayyes, was called Alcoholics Row back in 1923. At that time, a fence was built along one side of full length of the entire street in order to keep the poorer, small houses that dotted the street from the view of the more expensive neighborhoods to the west. The street is also known for having the city’s highest concentration of detached houses of under 500 square feet.

“Today, Craven Road has come a long way,” Elrayyes notes. “Many of these small detached homes have been rebuilt or revived, and there is very little evidence of the past. The street is vastly changing to join its neighbours to the west on Ashdale Ave., and to the east on Rhodes Ave., drawing in younger families.

The house that Elrayyes built is a bright, modern contemporary home designed to capture sunlight through the day.

“The floor-to-ceiling windows and large French doors allow the natural light to flow through. Prior to building, my vision was to create a condo-style living space with the advantages of a detached house. By utilizing the square footage of this home, I was able to achieve the 10-foot ceilings on the main floor and a nine-foot ceiling basement with a separate entrance,” Elrayyes says.

The home has many energy-efficient features such as LED lighting in the kitchen and LED lights on the main floor.

Situated at the foot of Craven Rd., the home is walking distance to Jonathan Ashbridge Park, the Beach Cinema, a streetcar and bus route, bike trails, and many shops and restaurants along Queen St. E.

This home features a stucco and cedar exterior with a second-storey back balcony with a glass rail, and a back deck with a glass rail.

The main floor is open-concept with high ceilings, custom-stained wide-plank hardwood flooring, and custom-built windows and doors.

The living room is at the rear of the house and features a gas fireplace and a wall-mounted TV. It is wired for surround sound and has eight-foot-high French doors that open to the back deck.

Adjoining the kitchen is the bright dining room with task lights and a hardwood floor and next to the dining room is a powder room.

Upstairs, the master bedroom occupies the rear of the home and features hardwood, a wall unit closet with sliding doors, pot lights and a walkout balcony.

There are two more bedroom, one L-shaped, both with hardwood. As well, the second floor has a laundry area.

The main four-piece bathroom boasts a double sink, a heated marble floor, a water closet, an oval soaker tub with a skylight above, and a light green floor-to-ceiling glass tile. The separate shower stall has head and body water jets with various features.

The finished basement has high ceilings, a separate entrance, a spacious recreation/games room and a three-piece bathroom.

Although we try to provide the most up-to-date information available, we cannot guarantee features as listed. Please contact the realtor for latest details. To make a submission to House of the Week, email soldhome@rogers.com .

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